Amsterdam Jewish School Damaged in ‘Deliberate Attack,’ Mayor Says
An explosion damaged a Jewish school in amsterdam early Saturday in what Mayor Femke Halsema described as “a deliberate attack against the Jewish community. ” The blast happened in a residential neighborhood on the south side of the city, caused limited damage, and prompted a rapid response from police and firefighters. No injuries were reported.
Amsterdam Explosion Investigated as Targeted Attack
In a press release, Halsema condemned the incident and said police had obtained CCTV footage showing a person placing an explosive device. The mayor described the incident as “a cowardly act of aggression against the Jewish community, ” adding that Jewish people in amsterdam are increasingly confronted with antisemitism and calling that “unacceptable. ”
Authorities have not announced a motive for the explosion at the school.
Heightened Security After Rotterdam Synagogue Arson
The school attack came after security at synagogues and Jewish institutions in the Dutch capital had already been heightened following an overnight arson attack at a synagogue in central Rotterdam on Friday.
Later on Friday, police arrested three men aged 18 to 19 and a 17-year-old boy. Officers stopped a car that was driving suspiciously near another synagogue, with the description of the driver matching one of the perpetrators of the earlier attack on the Rotterdam synagogue.
Police Appeal for Witnesses as Investigation Expands
Police said they were launching a “large-scale investigation into this serious incident” and appealed for witnesses to come forward. A police spokesperson said it was not yet clear whether the suspects planned to detonate an explosive or set fire to another synagogue as well.
Investigators are also examining an unverified video circulated on social media on Friday that appears to show an explosion near a building resembling the targeted synagogue. Separately, in neighboring Belgium, an explosion caused a fire at a synagogue in Liege on Monday.
Halsema said concerns about possible attacks against Jewish communities around the world have risen since the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the response from Tehran. The investigation into the amsterdam school explosion remains ongoing.
